


take my hand (take my lead)

by bokayjunkie



Series: lets get together (have our teams combined) [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, complete arrow rewrite/retelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-08 11:10:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10385373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bokayjunkie/pseuds/bokayjunkie
Summary: Oliver isn’t angry at the fact that someone got the drop on him during a routine patrol. He’s more angry that his captor, a tiny goth pixie who babbles a mile a minute, has got him wanting to smile and feel all sorts of emotions inside.





	1. Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want say a huge thank you to [intolauren](http://archiveofourown.org/users/intolauren) for being my beta, cheerleader, and all around awesome person for encouraging me on whenever I get lazy with writing lol. 
> 
> This was inspired by a prompt I saw on tumblr;  
> Writing Prompt #166:  
> “You’re cute.”  
> “Damn. I was going for intimidating and vaguely threatening.”

 

 

 

The first thing Oliver notices when he regains consciousness is that he’s tied up which immediately makes alarm bells ring inside his head. He tries to remember what happened to lead him into this predicament.

The night had started with him going to the foundry after being alerted of a disturbance in an abandoned building in the outskirts of the Glades. Since it hadn't seemed like it could be too much trouble, he’d told Roy he’d go at it alone while the young man monitored the computers as he went out in the streets.

When he’d arrived at the building **,** nothing about it had been out of the ordinary, leading him to believe his suspicions were probably correct, that it was most likely some misfit kids, or rowdy homeless people causing some noise and disturbance. Oliver had gone through the property anyway, walked inside the place just to be certain.

The memory came back to him now. He had felt a jolt of electricity spread through his body while he was patrolling the area and now here he was, tied up against one of the concrete pillars and having difficulty getting free. He scans the area he’s held up in; he’s still in the building, that much he can tell.

He’s still in his gear too, with his mask and hood on. His captor could have taken a peek behind his mask, but he doesn’t feel any kind of disarray on the garment. It doesn't matter really, the important thing now is to escape.

Oliver tries moving around in an attempt to at least loosen the rope wrapped around him, but to no avail. He lets out a growl in frustration. A second later, he notices a figure in the corner of his eye, his body immediately tensing, preparing himself to fight back should it come to that.

“Oh good, you’re still alive,” a soft, almost angelic, voice says **.**

That takes him aback. As the person comes into view, what Oliver sees is something he does not expect. They don't seem to be some brute criminal or even a lowlife thug. No, she’s all dark with her cargo pants, bulky combat boots and long sleeved shirt, along with her jet black hair, that makes the single purple streak stand out, and although she has the intimidating look of a criminal, all Oliver can see is her kind eyes. Though they are framed with dark, smokey makeup, he can see a glint of worry in them.

He feels a spark of something inside of him upon seeing that look. It’s small but still there, enough to make him feel uneasy.

“Are you back with us now, Mr. Arrow?”

His immediate reaction is to smile, but he catches himself and only turns it into a cringe.

“You’re not hurt are you?” she asks, her voice laced with worry. “Who am I kidding? I tased you, of course you’re hurt. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize how powerful it was gonna be, which I should have known since I changed the settings on it. But in my defense you’re a big guy so I didn’t think the normal setting would even do anything to you so I cranked it up a bit. Although, maybe a little too much since you were kind of out of it for a while. Seriously though, are you okay? I didn’t give you a concussion did I? I mean, I don’t think your head hit the concrete but –“

“I’m fine.” Oliver hisses, his voice cracking as he tries so hard not to smile or laugh.

Who is this woman? And why the hell is his body reacting to her this way?

For all he knows, she’s a dangerous criminal. After all, she did manage to lure him to the middle of an abandoned part of town, take him down and have him pinned where he can’t get out. Every common sense he has in him tells him not to trust her, not to let his guard down, and most definitely not to show any kind of emotion in front of her.

And yet… there’s something in the way she looks at him. She doesn't just look genuinely apologetic, but also concerned about his wellbeing. It’s refreshing considering whenever he’s in this kind of situation the person behind it isn’t usually so sympathetic… or beautiful, if he has to admit to himself.

“Oh, okay, great.” The woman says with a sigh of relief before her face splits into a wide smile.

A sense of comfort spreads through him at the thought of her being so concerned for him. He scolds himself for it a second later.

“Who are you?” he says in a low growl.

“Oh!” She jumps in reaction to his menacing tone, her eyes widening in surprise.

At this point, Oliver feels restless being tied up. He moves his body, struggling to get free from the rope wrapped around him. He’s irritated with himself for getting caught but he’s more angry at the reaction he’s having to this stranger. He’s angry that he feels himself calming down at her wide, doe eyes looking at him.

He can practically hear Thea in his head, snickering that he’s falling to his knees at another woman. _God, Ollie, stop thinking with your dick!_ , she would say. No, not this time. Oliver told himself before that he wouldn’t be swayed so easy by a woman again, not after the Helena fiasco.

“Okay, stop, you really shouldn’t be doing that,” she says in an alarmed voice as he continues to struggle. “The ropes are kind of self-binding, the more you struggle the tighter they'll gets. Seriously, stop! You’re gonna suffocate yourself!” She practically yells **.**

Oliver does stop, but his glare makes her take a step back.

“Who. Are. You?!”

“I’m not here to hurt you,” she stresses, putting her hands up. “I promise.”

He growls. “I find that hard to believe.”  He moves his arms once more to prove his point.

“Fair enough. I know it’s totally not cool to lead you here under false pretense, but I didn’t really know how to get in contact with you,” she says. “I mean, I could have just called you but something told me you wouldn’t respond well to a complete stranger hacking into your phone to talk to you.”

Oliver grunts in response, letting his irritation overpower his surprise. He’s taking in as many clues as he can get about this person. She’s not a threat, at least not physically. She doesn’t hold herself like a fighter so he knows he can easily overpower her, though, there is the fact that she did manage to capture him. Her mentioning hacking clicks something in his mind; if she’s good enough to hack his phone then she could be good enough to hack his computer, which is another issue in and of itself.

“Okay, listen, Arrow boy,” she says, looking at him with her back straight, composing herself. “I’m gonna let you go, but you have to _promise_ not to hurt me. Or run away.”

“Why would I do that when you’re the one who trapped me?”

“It’s not like I hurt you or anything!” she says defensively. “I didn’t hurt you did I?”

He growls again in response.

“Okay, you seem fine, albeit a little grumpy,” she mutters. “Which I know is my fault cause, yeah, I did _kind of_ trap you. Did I mention that I’m sorry?”

Oliver has to grit his teeth to stop whatever knee jerk reaction he has to smile. The woman looks at him with wide, innocent eyes and her lips in a pout. He hates himself for wanting to react the way he does; for finding it adorable.

“Look, I needed to talk to you and this was the only way I knew how to get your attention and avoid getting an arrow in my back.”

“You tased me,” he deadpanned.

“And I apologized for that! So can you just…” she looks at him desperately. “Be cool for a couple of minutes? At least long enough to hear me out?”

Oliver purses his lips, taking in deep breaths to calm himself. He wants to lash out and yell at her for being so naive in thinking he would submit to her demands so easily. More than that, he wants to yell at himself for resisting to do just that. He’s gathered enough to figure out that she’s not some hardened criminal who deserves the wrath of the Arrow but that doesn’t mean he’s happy that he feels himself softening up to her hopeful eyes.

“Fine.” He says through gritted teeth. “I won't hurt you and I won't run. Let me go now and I will give you five minutes to explain yourself.”

Her face practically beams at that and he scolds himself once more for the way he feels himself melt at the sight. She may look all gloom and despair with the black she’s sporting, but she’s complete sunshine.

She pulls out something from her pocket that looks to be her phone and presses on the screen. A second later, he feels the bind loosening, the rope unwrapping. He watches as it rolls itself up until it’s balled together and falls on the floor. The woman takes a step closer and picks it up, the rope that had tightly held him in place now nothing more than a tiny ball in her fingers.

“Neat isn’t it?” she looks at him with a proud smile on her face. “It’s a little something I’ve been working on. I’ve always wanted to test it out on someone who could actually try and get out of it instead of on inanimate objects.” Then she cringes and starts to babble. “Not that I was thinking of you as some sort of guinea pig, of course. I mean, it was convenient for me to have this around but I didn’t call you here so I can try it out on you or anything –“

Oliver holds up his hand, effectively stopping her from talking. “Your five minutes is starting.”

Her eyes widen. “Right, okay.” Straightening her back once again to regain composure, she holds out her phone. “Do you recognize this woman?”

Oliver looks at the picture on the screen. “That’s Janet Carroll.”

“Yes, CEO of AmerTek.” She pulls the phone back and starts to press on the screen. “Who has a contract with the DoD for manufacturing weapons and defense gear used in the military.”

“I know this already, why are you telling me this?”

“Because that’s not all they’re making,” she says, showing him her phone once more. This time the images on the screen show blueprints of different kinds of weapons. “In the past year they’ve been developing much more deadly weapons than your run of the mill military gear. I’m talking nuclear bombs here and I’m pretty sure these aren't government issue. She even bought out a separate warehouse to make these so they're not manufactured in AmerTek’s usual R&D lab. Course, it was all bought through different shell corporations and would take forever to tie it back to AmerTek, but then again, I’m just that good to uncover it.”

The images are definitely concerning as he looks through them.

“So I looked into it,” she continues. “The how and why of the side gig of making weapons that I’m sure General Walker has no idea exists. Turns out, Janet Carroll’s new benefactor is none other than Tobias Church.”

Oliver lets out a curse at the revelation. He’s been after Tobias Church for months now, but every time he’s been close to capturing him, he’s always managed to get away.

“Why is she making deals with Church?” he asks her.

“Money, I’m guessing.” She shrugs, putting her phone away. “The company had some re-negotiations with the DoD two years back and the budget cutback took a hit on their production. My guess is, Carroll was desperate to get some of their complex projects off the ground. I looked in their budget spread and there’s a huge money pot in there that definitely didn’t come from the government.”

Oliver lets out a sigh. “Church has been making the rounds in major businesses in Starling City. He’s getting out of hand.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed. But, here’s the kicker and kind of the reason why I called you here tonight.”

He looks at her, slightly wary, not in the mood to have these conflicting feelings inside him. He’s furious at the knowledge Tobias Church is getting more powerful by the minute, but he's also furious at himself for feeling his anger go away at the sight of her grinning, eager face.

“I hacked into their system and they’re making a shipment tonight to Tobias Church. So I was thinking, we get a tracker in their shipment which will lead us, well more like _you_ , to Church himself.”

It was a good plan, simple enough really. But he’s still skeptical.

“Why do you need me for this? From the sound of it, you’re competent enough to plant a tracer on a shipment.”

Her shoulders drop and she rolls her eyes, as though the answer is obvious. “ _Because,_ if you hadn’t noticed, I’m not exactly physically capable. The shipment is held at their warehouse thirteen miles out of the city and, surprise surprise, the place is loaded with armed guards. Now, I can easily hack their computer system remotely, but placing a tracker is kind of an onsite job. A job I definitely can’t do on my own. I’m not exactly stealthy enough for that.”

“You managed to get the drop on me.”

“Yeah, but you’re one guy, so that’s easy enough. The whole place is packed with hundreds of guys all with your build and strength. It wouldn’t exactly be a fair fight.”

She has a point there. “And how would you know those shipments would go to Church?”

“Because I’ve seen him use them before.” She says, pulling out her phone once more. She clicks on it a few times before holding it up to show him the screen. “See this?” It’s a picture of a blueprint of a gun. “This is military grade rifle, but with a bit more tweaking. Three weeks later,” she taps on the screen to show a grainy picture of Church’s men holding guns that look similar to the blueprint from before.

“How do you know Church didn’t just steal them?”

She rolls her eyes again as she puts her phone away. “Other than the fact that I followed the money trail to him? Well, not _him_ specifically, but one of his many aliases,” she says. “When I hacked into their system that showed the shipments they were making of the weapons, those same weapons showed up in Church’s gang a couple of weeks later. I kept track of it for almost six months and the pattern still holds.”

Oliver lets out a sigh. It was a solid lead. This would be the first time he’d get anywhere close to Church since he started raging havoc in the city. But he still feels hesitant to team up with somebody he doesn’t know.

“Okay, say I do this with you...” he says. “I know what I’m getting out of this, I want to catch Church. But what are you getting out of it?”

“I want to catch Church too!” she retorts. He narrows his eyes at her, telling her he doesn't believe her. “Look, I’m just like you, wanting to put some justice into this world. Guys like Tobias Church need to be put behind bars. Plus, people like Janet Carroll also need to be taught a lesson about doing dealings with criminals.”

“So you want to out Janet Carroll.” He summarises.

“People like her needs to be exposed for their corruption,” she says with conviction. “And you shouldn’t be one to judge since you were the one who put arrows in one percenters for being corrupt.”

“That was a long time ago.” He grunts. “I just want to protect my city.”

“And this _will_ protect your city. Not only is it a way for you to get a one up on Church, but also expose Janet Carroll for the corrupt woman that she is.”

“And how would you do that?”

“Easy! Once I get access to their servers I can put a little malware on there that can copy every data they have and send it to proper authorities.”

“You can do that?”

She looks at him with a smug smile as she pulls out something from her pocket. “You would be surprised at what this little guy can do.” In her hand is a USB stick that looks to be the size of his nail. He’s not the most technologically inept, but he knows enough of the power that a thumb drive can hold.

He’s kind of impressed.

“Okay, you make a good point.”

“Great!” she cheers, putting the thumb drive away. “So let’s go.”

“But that doesn’t mean I’m gonna help you.”

“Oh, come on! The shipment’s gonna leave in two hours and it takes like, at least 45 minutes to get there! We have to leave now.”

“I don’t generally like to work with people when I don’t even know their name,” he deadpans.

“Oh.” She pauses. “My name’s Meghan.”

He narrows his eyes at her. “That’s not your real name, is it?”

She flinches. “No, but much like you I don’t really give out my identity to just anyone. Especially when we’re dealing with illegal activities, no matter how noble they are.”

He rolls his eyes. “I need to get a message out to my team before I head out.”

“Oh right!” Her eyes widen before pulling out her phone again and starts to type up on it.

“What are you doing?” he asks, before he feels a vibration in his suit. He pulls out his Bluetooth headset from his pocket and puts it up on his ear. “What is it, Arsenal?”

 _“Hey, it’s been awhile since you left and you hadn’t checked so I’m calling to see if you’re good.”_ Roy’s voice comes through his ear.

“I’m fine, Arsenal.” He says. “There’s nothing going on here. Whatever that alert was, it’s long gone now.”

_“Okay good, cause there’s something happening with the computer.”_

“What?”

_“I have no idea what’s going on, dude. I wasn’t even touching anything when it started popping up random windows. I think it could be a virus, but I don’t know what kind of virus would put pop-ups of warehouse blueprints located outside of the city.”_

Oliver turns his head to look at the woman, _Meghan_ , narrowing his eyes at her. “Did you hack my computer?”

“Yep!” she grins proudly. “I just forwarded a little information so your team knows what to expect.”

He looks at her incredulously. How can she be so casual about all of this? How can she just hack into his private computer, that he uses to store secret stuff regarding his vigilante business, and look at him with such an innocent smile as though it’s something to be proud about?

And how can he find this so endearing?

 _“Who are you talking to?”_ Roy’s voice interrupts him from his inner struggle.

Oliver lets out a frustrated sigh and pulls out his phone from his pocket. “Arsenal, you’re on speaker phone. Mind the information you release.”

_“Oohh…kay. Why?”_

“Hi!” Meghan says cheerfully.

 _“Oh.”_ Roy says rather awkwardly. _“You have company.”_

“This is… _Meghan_.” Oliver says, eyeing the woman warily. He knows that isn't her real name, which still makes him cautious about working with her.

_“Um…hi, I guess?”_

“Hey! You must be the one in red that helps him out sometimes,” she exclaims.

 _“Yeah, that’s me, the sidekick.”_ He says with a snort, a slight bitter tone in his voice.

“You know, a regular red hoodie doesn’t really make a great outfit for a vigilante,” she quips. “At least Big Green here has the whole set up, better than the cosplayers I’ve seen at Comic Con.”

 _“No costume yet. I probably won't get that until I graduate vigilante training camp, whenever that is. My teacher’s kind of a dick.”_ He snickers. Oliver scowls and makes a mental note to make Roy pay for his remarks during their next sparring session. _“So, are you the one who’s also messing with our computers?”_

“Yup. Your boss and I are gonna go on a recon mission right now to catch your main baddie, Tobias Church.”

“Arsenal, Meghan found out that AmerTek is Tobias Church’s new partner for weapons dealing. We’re heading over to their off-site lab to put trackers on their products that are being sent to Church tonight.”

_“Got it. That makes all the list of guns popping up on the screen so much sense now.”_

“You should have a full manifest of the shipment and I installed a software so you can keep track of it once we put the tracer on it. Get you to Tobias Church faster.” She looks at Oliver with a satisfied smile.

He scowls in response, hating the beam of warmth he feels.

 _“I see it.”_ Roy responds. _“So, I’m gonna guess that this Ghost Fox Goddess is you and not worry that a complete stranger has just gained control over our entire system?”_

“Yes! Wait… no, what?” her eyes widen. “What do you mean Ghost Fox… I did not…” she looks at her phone again and scowls. “Damnit! I need to change my handle.”

Oliver can't help but let out a small smirk. “ _Ghost Fox Goddess_?” he says in a teasing tone.

She glares at him, her lips pursed in a scowl. “Don’t make fun, we all have our embarrassing phases in college. At least I’m not running around town in tights with a bow and arrow.”

“It’s not tights, it’s leather.”

“Whatever,” she shrugs. “It’s my old handle and the only one I use because no one who I associate with now knows it’s me. Still doesn’t take away the fact that I can destroy your life with just a click of a button, or a tap of my finger on my phone.”

 _“Aaww, you’re cute.”_ Roy says in a teasing tone. _“You sound cute.”_

“Damn. I was going for intimidating and vaguely threatening.”

_“Hey, boss, if she’s a new recruit, then I approve.”_

“She’s not a new recruit.” Oliver grumbles. “She’s just providing us with some assistance with Church, that’s it.”

“Although I don’t mind teaming up every now and then,” she says in a hopeful tone.

“No team ups. This is a one time deal.” Oliver interjects. “We’re making our way to the warehouse. I’ll call you when we get there.”

“Oh, no need.” Meghan says. “The program I attached in your server also has a tracker for us so your team can locate us easily.”

 _“Yup, I see you guys right here.”_ Roy pipes up. _“Still in the abandoned building on 22_ _nd_ _Street.”_

Oliver purses his lips and looks at Meghan, who looks at him with a pleased smile. It’s a nice gesture, a helpful one really, that she thought of putting a tracker on them as well. It’s something he’s discussed with Roy on numerous occasions, about trying to find out how to work a program like that to make their missions easier. It’s one of the main reasons why Thea had decided to take Computer Science classes at the community college, so she could understand basic programming and be helpful with the technical aspects of their missions.

They haven’t been successful with it so far, but here comes this tiny little goth pixie, who just makes the program appear out of nowhere. He shouldn’t be grateful. He shouldn’t feel joyful that not only is she such a ray of sunshine, but also a genius who is kind enough to help them out. Oliver has to keep reminding himself not to let this woman, _this stranger_ , get too attached.

“We’ll signal if we need backup.” he mutters before hanging up.

“So… that’s your partner, huh?” Meghan speaks in a way of purely just making conversation. “He goes by Arsenal?”

“We need codenames when we’re out in the field.”

“Got it. So he’s the guy that your sister is dating, right?”

Oliver’s head jerks back, his eyes widening at her question.

She flinches and looks at him with an innocent pout. “I guess I should mention that I know you’re Oliver Queen?”

Oliver sees red. His irritation has reached an all-time high now. He knows he looks angry; even with the mask and the hood it’s obvious. The way Meghan takes a step back, holding her hand up in defense, tells him that she knew he’s angry too.

“I promise I haven’t told anyone!” she immediately says. “But I mean, come on! Did you honestly think that I wouldn’t find out your identity after I hacked your system? I mean underneath your sister’s night club? Really? Even if I didn’t go poking around, digitally, I’d figure that one out right away.”

“My identity is a closely guarded secret that only a few know.” his says in a low and threatening tone. “If it were to get out, it would endanger my family and friends –“

“I won’t tell anyone! I swear!” she insists. “I’m not saying this to blackmail you or anything. I just figured I didn’t want to get on the wrong foot with you by keeping any secrets, like me knowing your identity for one.”

“You lured me here and tied me up!”

“I admit I didn’t make the best first impression,” she concedes. “But I apologized for that! Look, I wanted you to know that you can trust me on this. That coming to you with this information isn’t me trying to pull one over on you.”

“I don’t really know how I can trust someone who’s apparently been stalking me and hacked into my computer.”

“Please, I did you a favor. You had a poor excuse for a set up. I’m surprised you hadn’t been caught by the cops yet.”

“I think I’m doing just fine since my operation is still intact.”

“You are one corrupt download away from having your entire set up exposed,” she asserts. “Lucky for you I planted some defensive shield along with the program I sent. That should hold off any basic hacking done by SCPD.”

“So does that mean you won’t be able to get in my system?”

She snorts. “Richie Rich, please, no one is as good as me. Plus, it’s my defense shield that I programmed.”

He looks at her blankly. “That still does not comfort me.”

“Hey, I’m sending you an olive branch here!” she reasons. “I know this whole thing’s a little bit ass backwards, but I do want to help!”

Oliver assesses her for a moment, sensing her sincerity. He’d known from the moment she appeared in front of him after he regained his consciousness that she wasn’t a criminal. She’s been generous with her services, not only with giving him his first solid lead on Tobias Church, but with getting them information and a tracker on them so Roy can always keep an eye on his movement. Heck, they’ve been able to make more progress in the short span with her than they have in the past year.

His head is trying to wrap around how unnatural all of this is. It’s against his instinct to trust so easily, or even just to hear someone out who had gotten a drop on him. If this were any other time with any other person, he would have left the person beaten and unconscious. He wouldn’t even think twice about putting the fear of god into his captor.

Yet somehow, one look at her worried eyes and Oliver had found himself giving in to her. What is happening to him? He can feel his anger melting away with every look and every smile she throws his way. And the worst part is, she doesn’t even know what she’s doing to him.

Oliver thinks back to the last time he had put any ounce of trust into a woman he had fancied and let into his crusade. Helena was complicated from the get go. When she had enough of him trying to fix her, she left for a mission on her own; to get revenge on her father for killing her fiancé. She still shows up every now and then, when her father is back in town. Usually that’s when she tries to guilt him into helping her get her father.

He knows not to get sucked into that kind of manipulation game again. Not with Helena or with any other woman.

But _this_ woman…she’s different. He can tell that her worried looks and assurances are all genuine. They aren't fake like Helena’s, to get what she wants. Even though she has ulterior motives, considering her mission is the same as his, it doesn't seem like a bad trade. He can tell that everything out of her mouth has been honest… well everything other than her name.

He’s lived through enough to know better and yet… there’s something inside him that wants to be open with her. It makes him feel naked that he’s suddenly so comfortable with putting away the metaphorical mask he always wears. Whenever she looks at him or speaks to him or even smiles at him, he wanted to smile back at her too. He’s wanted to be as free and open in expressing himself to her the same way she is, even though he rarely has any emotions to express.

That’s what’s bothering him the most. The only time he’d ever felt any kind of uncontrollable emotion was when he’d seen his sister for the first time after his rescue. And even back then, it was containable. But _this_ woman has somehow opened up something inside of him and that's been itching to climb out. And that alone makes him want to refuse anything that had to do with her.

It doesn't change the fact that she had done more for them and their mission in a span of an hour than he ever had been able to. She’s an asset, that’s for sure, and she holds their best bet in catching Church.

Oliver lets out a resigned sigh. “Fine.” He grumbles.

She beams at him and dammit if it doesn’t make him want to smile too. He knows that Roy is going to tell Thea about this whole Ghost Fox Goddess thing at some point tonight. Hell, he’s probably telling her right now. He also knows his sister will tear him a new one about thinking with his dick and compromising their mission.

If only it were that simple. If only this is explainable with attraction and lust. However, deep down Oliver knows it’s something else entirely that makes him want to let this woman in.

“But if we’re talking about trust, then there’s something you need to be honest with me about,” he says to her. “You know my name, so it’s only fair I get to know yours. Your real name.”

She doesn't look deterred by the request. In fact, she’s still beaming at him as she says, “Felicity.”

He raises a brow. “Felicity?”

“Mh-hm.” She nods, then holds out her hand. “Felicity Smoak. It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Queen.”

Oliver looks down at her hand. _Felicity_. The name suits her and gosh darn it, just the thought of her name makes something in his stomach flutter.

“You too, Miss Smoak.” He responds. His hand takes hers and they wrap into each other for a shake; the side of his mouth lifting into a small smile that he can’t contain any longer. “Let’s go catch some bad guys.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will have three parts as the story got the better of me. Honestly I didn’t expect to write more than this, but I kind of fell in love with the little universe I conjured up. Technically I wanted this all to be a oneshot, but as I wrote more it got too long so I figured it’s easier to break them up.
> 
> I kind of modeled Felicity after Alena (aka Helix girl), in that this is how I suspected Felicity would be like if she didn’t reinvent herself and continued to save the world as a rebellious goth using her digital prowess. But she’s also more aware of the consequences so she’s not so radical and isn't part of any hacker organization.


	2. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity break into AmerTek. Trouble happens.

They arrive at the warehouse faster than she thought they would since they rode on Oliver’s motorcycle. As much as Felicity had been hesitant at first to get on the bike with him, she had to admit that the ride wasn’t as scary as she thought it would be. Though that could be due to the death grip she’d had on Oliver the entire ride. She hadn't known why she’d felt so safe all of a sudden but with him pressed against her, somehow she had known that he wouldn’t do anything to harm her.

Breaking into the building hadn't been too complicated either, especially since Oliver was doing all the grunt work. He’s five steps ahead of her as they make their way in the building while she hides herself as he stealthily moves to take down the guards in their path. When the coast is clear, he waits for her to reach him and then they move on to the next point in the building until they reach the server room.

The room itself is located on the third floor at the very back, so there aren't that many people who walk by which makes it easy for them to slip in. Regardless, Oliver keeps watch by the door as Felicity works on the computer, inputting the thumb drive she had designed.

“How long is this gonna take?” Oliver mutters, his eyes trained out of the opened crack of the door, keeping an eye out for anyone who might approach their way.

“Don’t get your hood in a twist, your majesty,” Felicity teases with a smirk. “This is some pretty heavy data. If I’m gonna get all the information I need to expose AmerTek, then I need to be careful, otherwise _they’re_ gonna know that I’m on to them.”

Oliver doesn't reply, but she can tell that he’s grumbling.

“Relax, Buttercup. This will only take a couple of minutes, 30 tops. Then we can go down the loading dock and put trackers on the shipments.”

“I saw about 30 crates down there and all of them are loaded with a lot of weapons,” he says. “If we put a tracker on just one, there’s a possibility that tracker might not reach all the way to Church.”

“Which is why we’re gonna put trackers on all of them,”

“And how do you suggest we do that?”

“Are you familiar with nanotechnology?”

Oliver pauses. “Yes…” he says cautiously. “One of Queen Consolidated’s lead engineers is developing something under that branch.”

“Right, Ray Palmer, who is the lead developer of your nanites.”

Oliver looks at her through narrowed eyes. “How do you know about that?”

“I had a quick look through your project developments,” she shrugs, as though it isn't a big deal.

“What the hell?!” he growls.

“Sshhh.”

“Why are you snooping through my company?!”

“Relax! I was going through all the major weapons developing companies in Starling City to see which one were in bed with Church,” she explains calmly. “Of course, this was before I found out you were the Arrow. _That_ would have saved me some research time.”

There’s silence, and even though she’s not looking at him, Felicity can feel the irritation radiating from him. She glances at him and feels instantly bad  after seeing the wounded look on his face. Thinking about it, she knows her actions probably come across as invasive and insulting, especially to someone she wants to form a working relationship with who still still views her as a stranger. It’s not helping to build an honest foundation for partnership; heck it’d be a miracle if Oliver even considers working with her again after this.

“Look, it was nothing personal,” she concedes. “You should understand since a lot of the targets you went through last year were friends of your family.”

“Yes, but I already knew they were bad people,” he says through gritted teeth. “I had a list that was curated by my father that told me they were corrupt. I didn’t just go through every businessman in the city looking for anything incriminating.”

“Well, I’m sorry for thinking that a company on the brink of bankruptcy would be desperate enough to get financial help from a high-powered criminal.”

He purses his lips, but doesn't say anything.

“You’ve gotta admit, it _is_ suspicious that Queen Consolidated managed to dig itself out of a money pit so soon after your mother was exposed as an accomplice to a domestic terrorist attack,” she reasons. “That was the reason why I looked into your company in the first place, because one CEO was already involved in something really terrible, so who knows if your company had a tendency to get involved with criminals? Little did I know, you were exactly the opposite. Which is good because it makes me think that there _are_ people in charge of large corporations out there who are actually interested in the wellbeing of the people rather than just money.”

There’s a pause of silence after that, the only sound coming from the humming of the servers and Felicity’s typing. Noticing his silence, she glances at him again. He doesn’t look mad this time, but he does have a hardened look on his face.

“Oliver, wha –“

“My mother is a good person,” he enunciates in a low tone. “She was at the mercy of Malcolm Merlyn.”

“I know –”

“He’s the one who orchestrated the Undertaking,” he continues, not even hearing her. “He threatened to hurt us if she didn’t comply with him. Everything she did was to protect her children –”

“Hey, I know!” She interjects forcefully. “Oliver, I know, okay?”

That makes him stop, but he still looks solemn.

“I didn’t think it was her fault to begin with,” she continues in a gentle tone. “I mean, I don’t know her personally but it’s not like she’s Janet Carroll who worked alongside Malcolm Merlyn to gain profit. It didn’t seem like she had anything to gain from it other than the safety of her family. I actually think it was brave of her to confess and take all the blame because Malcolm Merlyn is dead. It was really a miracle she got a second chance; I’m glad for you and your sister that she got to come home.”

Oliver visibly relaxes at her words, though he’s still reserved. This is still a sore subject for him. Even though Moira Queen is now a free woman there’s still some mixed feelings for him regarding his mother. He’s happy that she’s not paying the price for something that Malcolm Merlyn did, however he also knows she’s not all that innocent either because his confrontation with his mother as the Hood proved that. Either way, he’s kept those thoughts to himself and accepted the gift of her freedom because she’s still his mother.

“Besides, it’s not like I have any room to judge,” Felicity adds. “Considering I use not-so-legal networks to get justice. Kind of like you except you’re more physical while I’m more digital. Anyways, I got myself in over my head once and I honestly thought I wouldn’t get out of it alive, but luckily someone gave me a second chance. Everyone deserves that second chance, including your mother.”

He nods. “Thank you.” He says silently, turning his attention back to the cracked door.

They’re both silent for a moment, processing their brief confrontation. Oliver isn't stewing in anger this time, as he thinks over what Felicity has told him. For some reason he feels a wash of relief that she doesn’t think of his mother as a criminal. It doesn’t matter that he also has his misgivings regarding the matter, she’s still his mother. Knowing that Felicity doesn’t view her as a criminal the same way she views Janet Carroll, makes him feel comforted. Some can say the two women are quite similar, but it’s true; the difference between them is that Moira was coerced into working with Malcolm whereas Janet works with Tobias for her own benefit.

Not that he needs Felicity’s validation. He’s still apprehensive working with her, however she _has_ been forthcoming when it comes to assuring him that he can trust her. The frustrating thing is that he does. He started trusting her the moment she called him Mr. Arrow.

“ETA is 20 more minutes,” she informs him as she continues to type on the computer.

“Good,” he mumbles. “So how _are_ we gonna put trackers on all the weapons?”

“Oh yes! The nanites your Dr. Ray Palmer is developing.”

Oliver looks at her, waiting for her to continue. When it’s clear that she isn't going to elaborate anymore, he says, “And?”

“And what?”

“What about the nanites? What does that have to do with the tracker?”

“We’re gonna use the nanites,” she says as though it’s obvious.

“What do you mean? How? They aren’t even done yet. Dr. Palmer says that they're still in their development stage.”

“Yeah, but I looked at the schematics of his project and I finished it myself. I’ve already got them programmed as trackers that are connected to the software I installed in your system. We release the nanites, each of them will attach to the weapons and everyone in Church’s gang who has any AmerTek gear will be accounted for, including Church himself.”

She looks at him with a satisfied smile, expecting him to give her some sort of affirmation for her good thinking. What she gets though, is an incredulous look.

“What do you mean you finished the nanites?!” He exclaims in the same low growl as before. “Dr. Palmer has been working on them for almost a year. He’s barely to the prototype stage.”

“Yeah, I saw,” she flinches. “There’s an equation that he kind of missed, which is the only thing that’s preventing it from working successfully.”

“But you figured it out,” he states rather than asks.

“Yeah, only took me a couple of weeks to get a working prototype. And don’t worry, I’ve already tested them out and they work perfectly well.”

He continues to look at her in surprise. “So you’re telling me that you managed to complete a piece of groundbreaking technology in just a week, when my engineer who came up with the idea is still nowhere near done with it?”

“I like to build things,” Felicity shrugs. “I may be good with codes but I also found out I’m good with engineering. It’s kind of like when I built computers when I was a kid, but just a tad more complex. Besides, I had to do something to keep myself occupied after I got kicked out of MIT and I was too bitter to code.”

She says it in such an unconcerned way that it literally takes Oliver for a loop. With every word that comes out of her mouth, he finds out something new about her. And with every new information he’s always hit with a surprise. Everything he finds out about this woman is kind of remarkable in an intimidating way.

“You know all of that information is top secret,” he lectures. “That was supposed to be the product that will kick out our competitor who still has 45% control of the company.”

“You mean your other CEO who looks like she’s killing you with her eyes?”

“Yes, Isabel Rochev. She came in with the intention of taking over the company, but I was lucky enough to find a way to keep my controlling shares. I want her gone, and with Dr. Palmer’s invention, it would have been a breakthrough for us, but now…”

“It’s not like I’m gonna go to market with the nanites or anything,” she assures him. “Honestly, I just saw the project files and thought it was interesting so I decided to make one myself to see if I could. And apparently I could.”

Oliver is still in disbelief at how casual she sounds, as though managing to create something that no one else has achieved is nothing to marvel at. Not for the first time he wonders if this woman is an actual godsend or a possible mad scientist.

“I won’t tell anyone else I managed to create them either,” she continues. “It’s not like I want any recognition or anything. If my adolescent youth taught me anything it's to never get an ego. Boasting about my accomplishment is just an invitation for other people to take advantage of me.”

Oliver purses his lips, understanding all too well what she means.

“And don’t worry about your project. I added a few notes in Dr. Palmer’s computer that will lead him to the right equation. He should be able to get those nanites working and you can finally kick that Wicked Witch out of your family’s company.”

“Thanks,” he says, surprised once again. “But I don’t get it. You definitely proved that you can do this all on your own so I still don’t understand why you need me.”

Felicity lets out an exasperated sigh. “Need I remind you of the five guards that you had to intercept in order for us to get in this room? Do you think I could have done that on my own?”

“So you just needed a muscle. Don’t tell me you don’t have any friends who could have helped you with that?”

“Do I look like I have friends who can ninja their way into a heavily guarded warehouse?” she argues. “My people are just nerd who prefer not to lift anything heavier than a computer mouse.”

Oliver lets out a snort at the description. It certainly fits with the image he has of her wreaking havoc on her computer.

“Besides, my muscle partner kind of grounded me from doing anymore exposé on corrupt businesses so I didn’t think it would be a good idea to ask him for back up.”

He’s taken aback. “You have a partner?”

He hasn’t gotten to process the fact that she said he had “grounded” her as he’s still stuck up in the idea that she has a partner.

“Well, he’s not so much of a partner as he is my- I guess you could call it handler. Or more like big brother really,” she smiles softly. “An annoying, overprotective big brother who doesn’t like it when I do my digital vigilantism. Hence me going to an actual vigilante to help me.”

Oliver doesn’t know why he feels a slow churning in his stomach at the thought of her having partner. Despite her calling him a brother, there’s the fact that she has someone else that gets to assist her whenever she does missions like this. He doesn't like this feeling he has. He severely dislikes that he’s even reacting this way.

He scolds himself for being so affected by her. On the ride over he had pushed away all the unusual emotions he was feeling since meeting Felicity including that light fluttering in his stomach whenever she smiled at him. He had thought he would get better control of himself around her. Whatever it was had to have just been the initial reaction to someone who had bested him so expertly.

Now he’s just irritated with himself that he’s continuing to feel things that he shouldn’t be feeling, especially during a mission. He shakes his head, trying to get rid of all these confusing emotions and focusing on the mission.

“Aaand done!” Felicity announces after a few minutes. She looks at Oliver, beaming with delight. “Now, let’s go get a one up on Church.”

Oliver purses his lips in response, trying not to return her smile. He has to turn away because the sight of her grin just makes his insides flutter. It annoys him so much that she still has this kind of effect on him.

He goes out of the room first, making sure the coast is clear before she can follow him. Getting to the loading dock is easier than getting up to the third floor but that could be because Oliver has already rendered the guards unconscious, so they don't run into too much trouble this time around.

They arrive at the ground floor, hiding behind one of the giant crates that has been prepped for transportation. The area where all the crates are stationed is empty as most of the people are in the offices and the guards are standing by the opened garage doors. This gives Felicity the opportunity to sneak the nanites into the crates as Oliver watches her back.

They manage to accomplish the task in a short amount of time without alerting anyone of their presence. When they reach the last crate for Felicity to dispense the nanites, a large truck has arrived in the garage. They take this as a sign for them to leave as the weapons are being transported soon.

Oliver starts to lead Felicity towards the back exit, opposite where everyone is gathering at the truck so as not to get detected. They’re almost in the clear when a familiar voice booms throughout the room.

“Now this is what I like to see.”

Tobias Church stands in the middle of the loading dock, looking at one of the crates displaying the various weapons.

“I think this will suffice your requests.” Janet Carroll replies, looking at him with distaste.

“You always come through for me.”

“And our deal?”

“Don’t worry, the money will be wired to your account by the end of the night.”

Oliver had tensed the moment he heard him speak. Tobias Church has been his main target for the better part of a year. He barely has any information on him even though his goons have been terrorizing the city, taking advantage of the despair brought on by the Undertaking. It’s an even rarer moment that he gets to see Church in the flesh, as the man himself does not like to be out in public.

Felicity notices Oliver tensing beside her, not making any further movements to their escape. “Oliver, hey, let’s go,” she hisses in a whisper, trying to pull him out of the site.

Oliver doesn't budge, though. “He’s here.” He says, his body rigid and eyes wide as though he’s in a trance.

“Yeah, so we know for sure that these weapons are going to him. Now let’s go before he sees us!”

He doesn't budge again. “He’s never onsite,” he continues. “This could be my chance to end him once and for all.”

“Are you kidding me?!” she exclaims in a whisper, her eyes widening at him. “He is literally surrounded by hundreds of armed men! Not just the AmerTek guards but his own personal army as well! I know you’re good, but there’s no way you can take all of them down with just your arrows. You don’t even have enough to take down twenty!”

Oliver has a moment of hesitation. Rationally, he knows Felicity is right. This is not the time and place to engage with Church. The fact that they have visual confirmation that these weapons will go to him should be enough to satisfy him as all of them have been placed with trackers. However, there’s a smaller part of him that wants to stay. It’s the part of him that has been frustrated all year because of all the missed chances he had when it comes to Tobias Church.

The man has gained so much power over the year, yet he’s still elusive. It’s difficult to one up him as he’s always one step out of the situation. All of Oliver’s frustrations over Church, added to his still mixed emotions about Felicity, is really messing with him.

“Oliver, we have to go!” Felicity hisses, noting that the guards have already loaded most of the crates in the truck.

They are hidden behind the last crate in the row, located at the far end near the hallway that would take them to the exit. They don't have much time to stick around and formulate a battle plan.

“Oliver!” she tugs on him again.

The sound of one of the nearby crates being hauled off, along with Felicity pulling on him, breaks him out of his trance. Quickly, he grabs her hand and starts to lead her towards the hallway when the crate they had been hiding behind is lifted from its spot. Frozen in place, the two turn their heads to see everyone in the dock with their attention on them.

“Oh frak,” Felicity mutters.

“Well, well, well,” Tobias Church starts with a delighted smile on his face. “If it isn’t the vigilante.”

“He’s not supposed to be here.” Janet exclaims in an alarmed tone, her eyes widening upon seeing the Arrow in her property.

“Oh, I know,” Church says, downright giddy as he looks at him. “But you just unexpectedly delivered us something far more valuable.”

Immediately, all of Church’s men pull out their guns and aimed them at Oliver and Felicity.

“Double frak!” Felicity squeals.

Oliver quickly steps in front of her, shielding her, before raising his bow and arrow and pointing it back at them.

The sight of the Arrow in front of a room full of armed men equipped with guns, with only a bow and arrow is too amusing, causing Church to laugh.

“Oh, I am so gonna enjoy seeing you die,” he says with a menacing grin. “But… maybe I’ll hold off on it. I do like playing this cat and mouse game with you.”

Oliver holds his bow steadily, focused on aiming at Church. He feels Felicity clutching the hem of his jacket suit behind him and that gives him a pause. There’s a very low chance he’ll get out of this and he’s accepted that, but he will damn well try to get her out. Even if it will literally kill him.

“What are you waiting for?” Janet cries. “Kill them now! They’ve seen too much!”

“Relax,” Church says with a chuckle. “In due time. I want to have some fun first.”

“We don’t have time for this,” she rolls her eyes. “I don’t want to be any more of an accessory to your crimes than I already am.”

“And you don’t have to be. We’ve got our products and we’ll take these two out of your hands, so there will be no witnesses.”

“You better,” she warns him before she walks away.

Janet makes her way to her limo parked just out by the garage door when suddenly, the entire driveway is filled with dozens of black vans, blocking the exit. “What the…”

Soon after, there are agents dressed head to toe in protective gear, exiting the vehicles and pointing their guns at them.

“Now what’s going on?!” Janet says, her eyes wide looking at the new crew blocking her off. “Are these men with you?” she looks at Church, who looks just as confused as she is.

“Oh no,” Felicity mumbles from behind Oliver.

“What?” he whispers back, his eyes never leaving Church.

“I’m in trouble now.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Remember how I said I was grounded by my partner?”

“Yeah?”

“Well he’s here now and it looks like he brought reinforcements,” she pauses. “From ARGUS.”

And then all hell broke loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the wonderful response to this little story that just popped into my head. I honestly love taking everything that's happened on this show and mixing it up into something different. I hope you guys enjoy this little verse i've created as much as I do!
> 
> Now, a disclaimer, I'm not good at the whole technical jargon, or any action'y stuff going on. So don't think too much about nanotechs and contract deals cause I try to gloss over that as much as I can without getting too specific.


	3. Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath, aka the final chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and joining on the ride with me! This has been one of my favorite stories to create and write, and i'm glad you guys enjoy it as much as I do! Once again, a big thank you to [intolauren](http://archiveofourown.org/users/intolauren) for being such a wonderful beta and cheerleader!
> 
> This chapter is pretty much the whole reason why this story ended up being so long. It's because once I started writing, I imagined what this world is like and the kind of relationship Oliver and Felicity has with the other people in their lives, and I just wanted to manifest that in this fic. And FYI, more tags added as more characters are involved. I hope you enjoy!

When you catch a notorious crime lord who has been plaguing the city with gangs and destruction, along with a corrupt business woman who is aiding the said crime lord, it should be a victorious moment. Yet Felicity is feeling far from celebrating.  

The entire area is surrounded by ARGUS agents who are now rounding up Church’s men and AmerTek guards and employees. Church himself has been captured; he’s currently unconscious and tied up, thanks to an improvised arrow rope Felicity had rigged up during the battle, which Oliver used to capture him when he tried to run away. Janet Carroll has also been detained and she’s now cuffed and seated in the back of one of the ARGUS issued SUV’s, being guarded by an agent.

Felicity has to admit, it had actually been exhilarating to take part in the fighting aspect of a mission. The only other time she’d been front and center of an action-packed showdown hadn't been exactly that great. Though that was due more to the fact that her ex-boyfriend had kidnapped her and she’d been tied up to a chair the entire time, which isn’t the case _this_ time.

Instead of being helpless, Felicity had been able to fight back. Oliver had quickly ducked her away behind a crate in the middle of the floor to give her some protection, however it hadn't been enough to keep her out of the fire. She’d managed to grab a pipe as a defense weapon and hit anyone coming her way. It had also helped that Oliver hadn't strayed too far away from her and she’d managed to use a strong, metal case lid to shield herself when the guns had started to shoot.

All in all, she couldn’t have asked for a better first time experience out in the field. The fact that she’s not bleeding or dead should be a call for success, next to getting the bad guys of course. However, seeing Oliver beside her surveying the place with an irate look doesn't make her feel like shouting for joy. The anxiety forming inside her just amplifies when she sees the familiar woman, dressed in standard ARGUS issued defense gear, minus her balaclava, making her way towards them.

She is in so much trouble.

“ARGUS is rounding out everyone in this warehouse and putting them in our mobile holding cell in the meantime,” the woman says, looking at Oliver. “SCPD has already been alerted of this raid and they’ve got the information Felicity lifted from AmerTek’s computers.”

Felicity narrows her eyes at her. “I should have known ARGUS would be intercepting FBI intel.”

“Yes, you should have.” She says, giving her a stern look.

“Is that how you tracked me?”

“That, and we knew you were up to something the moment you volunteered to go on a Big Belly run _and_ pay for it.”

“Damn it.”

The woman turns her attention back to Oliver. “SCPD’s making their way so they’ll be here soon. You should probably leave before they arrive since you still have a conflicting relationship with them.”

It’s obvious Oliver has questions, the look in his eyes says he’s dying to demand answers. But he doesn't voice them. He takes a moment to regain composure before taking one last glance at Felicity, who still looks regretful, and lets out a sigh. Without saying anything else, he starts to walk away.

Felicity immediately holds out her hand and grabs him before he can walk too far. “Where are you going?” she asks, looking at him alarmed.

“We got Carroll, we got Church, our work here is done.” He grumbles, tugging his arm from her grasp.

“So that’s it? You're just leaving?"

“Your friends seem to have everything handled.”

She looks at him desperately, not even bothered that she’s making a scene. “And what about me?”

Oliver grits his teeth and glares at her. “Don’t act like this is more than it was,” he hisses. “I told you that this would be a one time deal. I got my guy, you got yours, and now we’re done here.”

“So you’re just gonna leave without saying anything? That’s it? No goodbye, no thanks?”

“I don’t exactly offer my appreciation for people who betray me.”

She looks at him in shock. “What the hell are you talking about?!”

“You lied to me!”

“I didn’t lie to you! In fact, I was very forthcoming about myself if you don’t remember. That’s the reason why you nearly chewed me out for snooping through Queen Consolidated’s systems.”

“That doesn’t even matter anymore, not when you’re working for ARGUS!”

“What does ARGUS have to do with anything? And I’m not working for them, just FYI.”

“Oh really? Then why are they here right now? You said yourself your partner called them up,”

“Maybe you forgot the fact that they saved our asses! If they hadn’t come then Church would have killed us by now!”

“Ahem,”

The interruption pulls both Oliver and Felicity’s attention away from each other and back to the ARGUS agent who is still standing in front of them.

“As amusing your screaming match is, you two are kind of causing a scene,” the woman says, with a quirk of her brow.

It’s then that they notice the entire warehouse filled with agents, and even the captured criminals, have stopped what they’re doing and are looking at them.

“Get back to work, people!” She yells, and everyone immediately goes back to moving.

“Listen, Ol –“ Felicity stops herself from saying his name, taking a glance at the woman to make sure she hasn't picked up on her faux pa, before looking back at Oliver. “Mr. Arrow, I’m not working for ARGUS and neither is my partner. We’re just kind of… associated with them.”

“That doesn’t sound any better,” he mutters, still clearly not believing her.

“She’s right, she’s not part of our organization whatsoever,” the ARGUS agent confirms. Then in a low tone so not to let anyone else hear she adds, “Mr. Queen.”

Both Oliver and Felicity look at her in surprise.

“Yes, I know who you are. And don’t worry, no one else does. Just us three.”

“How do you know that?” Felicity asks, looking quickly at Oliver in alarm. “I didn’t tell her, I swear!”

“She’s telling the truth. She didn’t tell me who you are. But I’m the head of ARGUS. I know everything, Felicity.”

With that, Oliver looks at her confused. “Head of ARGUS? But Amanda…”

“Aahh, yes, I forgot you don’t know yet. You wouldn’t have been informed,” she says with a hint of sadness. “Amanda Waller died six months ago. She was gunned down during a takeover at ARGUS. She had appointed me to replace her beforehand, knowing she was on borrowed time. My name is Lyla Diggle.”

Oliver shakes her hand, still apprehensive. The news of Amanda Waller’s death is a surprise, more so is the fact that the woman had always seemed so invisible in his eyes. He’s experiencing mixed feelings concerning her death; on one hand, she was truly a cruel person who had been an instrument in torturing him during his five years in hell. And on the other, they had left their relationship with some sort of understanding. They weren’t friends by any means, but she had helped Oliver embrace the darkness that was inside him.

“I understand you and Amanda are some sort of associates,” Lyla continues. “She showed me your file when she told me she wanted to appoint me as head of ARGUS. That way, should ever our paths cross, I’d know not to cause you any harm.”

“How… considerate of her.” He grumbles.

It’s then that Felicity slaps him on the arm.

“Ow, what was that for?!” he glares at her.

“You were ready to stick an arrow through me for being involved with ARGUS when you’re the one who’s all buddy, buddy with Waller in the first place!”

“It doesn’t change the fact that I still don’t trust them,” he barks. “And I didn’t trust Waller either. We have an understanding that we stay out of each other’s way and she stays out of my city!”

“And she respected your wishes,” Lyla interjects, once again. “Don’t worry, she filled me in on all the conditions you two agreed on and I assure you, I plan on continuing that agreement.”

“Good.”

“Felicity reaching out to you had nothing to do with us,” she adds before giving Felicity a stern look. “In fact, I distinctly remember you were forbidden to look into any information about the vigilante.”

Felicity eyes widen and she looks slightly ashamed. “I had to do something, you and John wouldn’t let me go after AmerTek by myself. You said I needed to have backup so I found myself some!”

“We told you not to pursue AmerTek because it’s dangerous, and tonight just proved that,” Lyla states. “Thank God we got to you before anything happened. I don’t know how we would cope if you’d gotten hurt, or worse!”

Lyla is good at keeping her face concealed from any emotion, but the look in her eyes is enough to tell just how affected she is at the thought of Felicity in that situation.

Oliver has assessed enough to determine that the relationship Felicity has with Lyla is more than just colleagues. He can see Lyla’s hands twitching, wanting to reach out and bring Felicity into a hug, but she restrains herself. As head of ARGUS he figures she needs to keep a mask on, especially in front of her agents. But the fact that Lyla is openly showing her distress, not just to Felicity but to him as well, tells him how deep their relationship is. They’re not just friends, they’re family.

“I’m sorry.” Felicity apologizes, looking down in remorse. “But I needed to do something or else Church would get even more powerful and people like Janet Carroll will still be left to do more harm to this city.”

“I know, Felicity, trust me, I understand. But please,” Lyla’s voice drops as she pleads. “Just remember that Johnny and I need you more. None of this is worth it if we lose you in the process.”

Felicity looks up at her, about to argue that she would still fight and do whatever she needs to do to help people, when they hear tire scratching. Another SUV arrives, parking by the opening. A familiar passenger practically jumps out of the car and starts to run towards them.

“John!” Felicity cries, running towards the man. The two meet in the middle, with the man holding Felicity in his arms tightly.

“Damnit Felicity, you cannot do this to me!” The man yells, clutching her against him in a tight embrace.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” Felicity keeps repeating, hugging him back with the same ferocity.

Lyla lets out a sigh as she watches the two. Relief washes over her seeing them together, knowing it was a close call earlier. She stands next to Oliver, who is also watching the exchange closely.

“Felicity wasn’t lying, you know,” Lyla says to him softly, their eyes never leaving the two. “She’s not ARGUS.”

Oliver purses his lips and nods. He pauses for a moment, assessing the scene in front of him. Felicity and the man, John, pull away from each other but only a little bit. Her arms are still wrapped around him while his hands cup her face. He can see the two are talking to each other in hushed whispers, most likely giving each other reassurance.

There’s a twist in his gut as he watches them, similar to what he felt earlier when Felicity informed him of her partner. Except this time, there’s something else he’s feeling. It’s something nauseating bubbling inside him as he considers how intimate they look. It’s a feeling he had been chiding himself for earlier, but now he just feels somber.

“I’m guessing that’s her partner.” He mumbles.

He has to look down, not wanting to watch the two in their display of affection for each other any longer as it continues to make him feel as though his heart is sinking to his stomach.

“Yes, I guess you could call him that,” Lyla surmises. “He’s not ARGUS either. I wouldn’t want either of them to be involved in the organization in an official capacity; you know the kind of effect that can have on a person. They’re good people who are already battling demons of their own. They don’t need ARGUS to add on to that.”

“Then how come they’re with you?” he asks, raising his head to look at her. “It’s obvious you have a connection with them, and it must be pretty deep for you to send an entire force team for Felicity.”

“Because Johnny’s my husband,” she states, which takes him by surprise. “And Felicity is like a sister to him. So I'm sure you can see why I would go through any lengths to keep them alive.”

Oliver remembers that Felicity had told him her partner was like an older brother. He had been too clouded with his emotions at the time to comprehend that fully, but now with Lyla’s confirmation, it eases the feeling in him slightly.

“Whatever Felicity has told you, then trust me when I say that it’s the truth,” she declares. “It’s the honest truth that she wants to help people, but she can be a little misguided. That’s why she gets herself in trouble sometimes and it always causes Johnny and I grief.”

Oliver contemplates her words. All night Felicity had been adamant that she was being honest with him, to gain his trust. The fact that she’d admitted to hacking his systems in the foundry and Queen Consolidated without any hesitation had already told him she wasn’t good at keeping secrets; from him at least. It was the reason why he’d found it easy to work with her and go along with her plan.

Now he knows without a doubt that his gut to trust Felicity had been right.

“And I swear, I’m fine! I had the Arrow with me the entire time! He didn’t let anything happen to me!” Felicity insists as she and John make their way back over to them.

“Yeah, well, you’ll have to forgive me for having my doubts,” John says warily, eyeing Oliver skeptically. “I don’t really think a guy in a hood shooting arrows is a proper defense method.”

“Be nice, Johnny,” Lyla says in a stern tone. “I was here when the whole thing went down. The Arrow didn’t leave her side, not even once.”

John still looks wary, but stays silent.

“Arrow,” Lyla says, “This is my husband, John Diggle. You’ll have to excuse him as he can be a bit overbearing when it comes to Felicity’s wellbeing.”

“I understand,” Oliver gives him a curt nod. “Felicity was safe with me.” He assures him. “I wouldn’t have let anything happen to her.”

“Yeah, you better make sure that’s the case,” is all John says to him before turning his attention back to Felicity. “We _will_ be talking about you going off and contacting a wanted criminal when we get back home.”

“John please,” she pleads with him silently, her face so soft and her eyes begging for him to understand. “You know he’s not a criminal.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you were still in danger!” His hold on her tightens, an image of her being badly hurt crossing his mind once more and causing an ache in his chest.

“It was my choice to come out here!” She argues. “I pretty much held him hostage until he agreed to help me.”

“That’s actually true.” Oliver mutters, which earns him a glare from John. He immediately looks away.

“He had every reason not to trust me but he helped me anyway,” Felicity continues. “He stayed by my side the entire time and made sure nothing happened to me.”

John looks at her, still reluctant to admit defeat, but after a long pause, and after Felicity giving him a pouty look, begging with her eyes for him to understand, he lets out a sigh of surrender. He pulls Felicity in for a hug, which she gladly reciprocates.

“I just don’t like the thought of you being in danger,” he admits. He lingers in their hug for a moment, relishing in the fact that she’s alive and breathing, before pulling back. “You’re my sister, Felicity. When we found out you were here with Church, I thought…”

“I know,” she says gently. “I’m sorry for making you guys go through all that trouble.”

He shakes his head. “You know we will do anything for you, right?”

She smiles. “I know. Thank you for always coming for me.” Then she turns to Lyla. “Thank you.”

“Always, Felicity. You’re our family.” Lyla assures her.

There’s a small moment where the three bask in the presence of one another, a moment of gratefulness that passes between them with the knowledge that they’re all alive. Oliver shifts rather awkwardly at the silence. He can sense they’re having a moment and he doesn't quite know what to do now. Fortunately, it’s John who breaks the silence.

“I’ve held off the SCPD as long as I can,” he says, directing the statement to his wife. “They’re gonna be making their way here real soon.”

“That’s your cue to leave,” Felicity says to Oliver. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that Lyla tells them you had a hand in capturing Church and exposing AmerTek.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Yes we do,” she insists. “The city needs to know that you’re not the enemy and that you’re helping them! Maybe then they might just stop calling you a criminal,” The last part she adds, purely as a little jab at Diggle.

“I’m not doing this for recognition.”

“But still, wouldn't it make your job a heck of a lot easier if you didn’t have the police breathing down your back?”

“Just say yes,” Lyla says with a smile. “She’s gonna do it anyway.”

“Fine.” Oliver relents, and though his tone has a hint of irritation, the slight curve of his lips tells them he's feeling anything but.

The two share a moment themselves, a small smile appearing on their faces. It’s strange, really. All night there’d been an air of uncertainty between them, given that she was still a stranger to him and that feel of complete trust he’d had in her even so had thrown him off. Yet right now, after they’ve just escaped the brush of death, and with the reassurance from Lyla, he feels that trust has made sense all along.

Oliver welcomes the light feeling he has now when he looks at her beaming face.

He’s about to say something, to tell her that he actually enjoyed this mission and wouldn’t mind doing it again, when he feels a buzz from his pocket.

“Hold on, my team’s calling,” he says before walking away from them. Once he’s at a distance, he pulls out his phone and answers. “What is it, Arsenal?”

 _“What the hell is going on?!”_ The shriek on the other end isn't Roy, but his sister. _“There’s an alert on the computer that SCPD is headed to a warehouse outside the city that AmerTek supposedly owns. And Roy here tells me that you’ve got a woman who’s accompanying you to get intel on Church.”_

Oliver lets out a sigh. “Speedy…”

 _“Explain now, Ollie!”_ she says angrily. _“Starting with this woman. What were you thinking? Have you learned nothing from what happened with Helena?”_

“Speedy, stop. This isn’t anything like Helena, I promise.”

_“Then you better have a good explanation!”_

“She’s a hacker who had intel on AmerTek being in business with Church,” he explains. “We came here to their offsite warehouse where they’re manufacturing the weapons that they’re making for him. When we got here, Church himself was picking up his shipment and we got caught in the crossfires.”

_“Oh my god, tell me you’re not lying in a ditch somewhere bleeding to death?”_

“I’m fine, Speedy,” He assures her. “We had some backup, a couple of Felicity’s… friends arrived and helped us out.”

 _“Felicity, I thought her name’s Meghan_?” Roy’s voice interjects.

Oliver stills, remembering the fake name Felicity had provided him earlier in the night. He had forgotten that Roy had also been introduced to her.

 _“What? Did you run into another vigilante groupie?”_ Thea asks, snarkily.

“No,” he grits his teeth. He loves his baby sister but sometimes she can be a bit overbearing. “They’re the same person. Felicity’s her real name, Meghan’s just an alias she uses.”

 _“I thought her alias was Ghost Fox Goddess?”_ Roy says with a snicker.

 _“Seriously?”_ Thea chuckles. _“Where did that come from?”_

_“It was a username that popped up on the window when she hacked us.”_

_“Oh my god that is so adorable!”_ She lets out a chuckle.

Oliver can't help but let out a small smile as well. He doesn't blame them for laughing as he still can't get past the thought of Felicity calling herself Ghost Fox Goddess. It’s something he wouldn’t have expected from her, yet it somehow fits her perfectly at the same time.

_“I know, right? I told her she sounded cute – Ow!”_

_“Serves you right for calling other girls cute!”_

_“Chill, babe! I didn’t mean anything by it! But I mean, if you heard her earlier you would understand. But you know I don’t think about anyone else like that.”_

_“Yeah, yeah.”_ She mumbles. _“You just make sure you keep your arrow to yourself.”_

_“I love it when you get jealous. You’re cute when you get pouty with me. And I mean that in an ‘I like you, you’re cute’ kind of way.”_

There’s more mumbling on their end with Roy saying more affectionate things to her and Thea trying to resist. It’s something Oliver isn’t particularly fond of when talking to them; they always find time to flirt. It’s the hazard of working with your baby sister and her boyfriend he supposes.

“You guys,” he calls out to them, trying to get their attention. “Can we get back on topic, please?”

 _“Sorry, Ollie.”_ Thea chuckles. _“But seriously, as adorable as this Ghost Fox Goddess sounds, shouldn’t we be worried that a total stranger got access to our base of operations? How do we know she hasn't told the authorities about us?”_

“She hasn't, she wouldn’t do that.”

_“Just like Helena wouldn’t double cross you?”_

Oliver has to roll his eyes at his sister’s retort. Helena has always been a sore spot for Thea, especially after the Huntress’ last visit to Starling City. The two had gone toe to toe, and Thea had come out of it with a few scrapes and bruises. That was when his sister had insisted on more expert training, which he’s still trying to protest. But you can’t really say ‘No’ to Thea Queen. Or you can, but it's futile.

“Trust me, Speedy, Felicity is nothing like Helena.” he declares with certainty.

 _“So you say,”_ she replies in a doubtful tone. _“But I think I can justify being concerned that you’ve gotten yourself head over heels for another girl who has some sort of justice warrior complex. You don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to your judgement with women.”_

“Felicity is different,” He insists. “She’s been nothing but honest with me from the very beginning. Besides, if it wasn’t for her, I never would have caught Church.”

 _“Wait, you caught Tobias Church_?” The tone in Thea’s voice changes.

“Yep.” He states proudly. “In fact, we’re waiting for SCPD right now so they can lock him up.”

There’s a moment of pause on the other end and he assumes his team are processing the information. It is quite big news, good news, but even good news can take time to sink in. He can’t really believe himself that it’s all finally over, this battle he’s been fighting with Church and his gangs.

 _“Dude!”_ Roy exclaims, breaking the silence.

 _“Ollie are you…”_ Thea starts, still in disbelief. _“Is this for real?! Like you actually caught him?!”_

“Considering he’s right across the room from me, unconscious and tied up next to every member of his gang who are also down for the count, I'd say yes. I’d say it’s for real, Speedy. We caught him.”

_“Oh my god, it’s finally over.”_

“Yeah, it is.” He lets out a tired sigh. The three of them had all been so bone tired these past months in their pursuit of Church. Now, they can all breathe easy knowing he’s out of the streets.

 _“How did you manage to do that?”_ Roy asks. _“I thought you said this was just recon?”_

“It was supposed to be. We didn’t expect Church to be here. It was almost a close call but… like I said. Felicity helped.” He says vaguely, avoiding getting too specific.

Oliver had briefed them a little bit about ARGUS in the past, back when they were investigating the Undertaking and they had a run in with Waller. But he didn’t inform them of anything specific other than Amanda being an ally of his. He hasn’t told anyone, especially his sister, that he wasn’t always on the island in those five years he was supposedly dead. And he doesn't want them to suspect anything of the sort either.

“We’ve also caught Janet Carroll and we’re rounding up everyone involved in AmerTek in association to Church.”

_“Roy said that Carroll was the one who made the deal with Church about the weapons manufacturing.”_

“Yeah, and Felicity hacked into their system and copied all the information they have that would implicate them and their involvement with Church and sent it to the authorities. That’s why SCPD is on their way now, because they got the intel about AmerTek.”

 _“Wow,”_ is all the response Thea can muster as she’s still amazed at the development.

 _“So, babe, seems like Felicity came through for us. Does she pass your test now?”_ Roy asks his girlfriend with a slight tease in his tone.

_“Well she did help us take down Church, and I gotta admit this software she gave us is pretty nifty. We haven’t even covered any of this in my programming class yet.”_

_“It’s really cool, right?”_

_“Yeah. I guess she makes the cut.”_ Thea says with a slight reluctance in her tone.

Oliver can’t blame her. At least one of them has to put a clear head on when encountering a stranger who easily took control of their secure system. However, his sister hasn't had the opportunity to get to know Felicity; she hasn’t seen how genuine she is.

 _“If you’re planning on recruiting her, I wouldn’t mind giving her a chance_ ,” she continues. _“Of course, the first sign I see that she’s another psychopath, she will be cut off.”_

“Like I said to Roy earlier, I’m not planning on recruiting her.” He says in a soft tone, before glancing back to where Felicity stands. She’s still huddled with Lyla and John, the latter of which still has his arm around her protectively.

As though sensing his gaze on her, Felicity looks up and her eyes connect with his. A soft smile ghosts over her lips, yet somehow it lights up her entire face at the same time. Her eyes glisten with joy, from either their victory or from being with John and Lyla or it could be because of him. He returns the smile nonetheless. That warm feeling he’d had before whenever she looked his way floods his entire body, except this time, instead of resisting it, he welcomes the feeling.

“But I wouldn’t mind getting her help again.” He adds into the phone, keeping his gaze on her.

What he doesn’t voice out loud is that he doesn't want to share her yet. As fun as it would be to have Felicity part of the team, as well as beneficial to them in terms of technical support, he also wants to keep his partnership with her to himself. At least for now.

He knew that the moment his team met Felicity they’d be just as amazed by her as he is. Roy’s already fallen under her charm with her babbles and the remarkable way she’d assisted them so easily. He knows Thea at the moment is still skeptical, and he doesn't blame her, but he has no doubt in his mind that once she meets Felicity the two of them will get along well. They’re both headstrong women who want to help people. Not to mention that they both love to get a rise out of him.

It will only take a moment before Felicity is welcomed into the team with open arms. But Oliver doesn’t want that yet. He wants to continue working with Felicity; despite the surprises she’s dropped on him, it has been fun and productive. He’s never felt as in tune working alongside anybody as he does with her. He just wants to continue on in their own little bubble of crime fighting for the time being.

Somewhere in the distance, he can hear the faint sounds of police cars. He catches the look on Felicity’s face, who had also heard them too. The soft look on her face disappears as she untangled herself from John’s hold and makes her way to him.

“Speedy, I gotta go. SCPD is almost here to take Church and everyone else.”

_“Okay, be safe Ollie.”_

“I will.”

He puts away the phone just as Felicity reached him.

“I think that’s the city’s alarm clock telling us that you need to leave,” she says by way of greeting.

“Yeah, I don’t think they’ll be happy to see me here.” He agrees.

He gives her a small smile which she returns as the two stand in front of each other. Despite the urgency for Oliver to get out of there, they continue to stand as they are, just looking at each other, as though they have all the time in the world.

“Thank you,” he finally says. “For your help in catching Church. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.”

She looks at him in surprise. “Well you helped me too,” she says. “I should be the one thanking you really. After all, I am alive because of you.”

“And because of them.” He gestures to Lyla and Diggle to the side.

“Yeah but…” Felicity looks almost shy as she bites the bottom of her lip.

That makes Oliver grin, not even stopping to think about it. He doesn't want to resist the natural reaction he has to her, not anymore.

“You’re the one who had my back,” she continues, looking him in the eyes as a soft smile crosses her face. “Even though I know you had every reason not to trust me, you still protected me and helped me.”

“Well you had my back first.”

She nods at his response, her smile widening. The two stand, looking at each other as their grins continued to mirror each other. It’s such a contrasting sight from a couple of minutes ago, when they had been yelling at each other. But everything feels clear in the air between the two of them now. Felicity somehow feels that she has earned his trust and she’s showing him that she doesn’t and won't take that for granted. She of all people knows the value of having people in your life who you trust wholeheartedly.

The sirens start to get louder, indicating that the police are getting closer and it breaks Felicity out of their locked gaze.

“Listen, I know you said this was just a one-time deal, but… if you ever need my help, I left my calling card in a file in your computer. It’s under Mr. Arrow,” she says with a slight flush of embarrassment, which earns her a low chuckle from Oliver and that encourages her to continue. “So just call me if you need me.”

Warmth washes over him and a fluttering in his stomach starts to spread, the grin on his face never deterring as is the admiration in his expression. “I think I might take you up on that offer.”

She practically beams at him at his response and damn it, Oliver is bewitched. The fluttering in his stomach is almost too overwhelming now, but he doesn’t care. She’s like a beacon of sunshine and he’s been living in the darkness for so long. He hadn't known until now just how much he’d been craving lightness in his life, but now that he’s been exposed to her, he wants more.

He’s still unsure of what he’s feeling or why. He just knows that something about Felicity makes him feel lighter and in this moment, he doesn't want to fight that.

He wants to talk to her more, maybe share stories. Oliver has never been one to share anything about his past, but something about Felicity makes him want to open up. He knows he can trust her with his secrets, he just _knows_ he can, the same way he’d known that he could easily trust her all night.

They’re interrupted by a throat clearing.

The two turn their head towards Lyla and Diggle, who have been the ones to call their attention. It’s just the look on Lyla’s face that tells Oliver everything that needs to be said. Clearing himself out of the Felicity fog he’d been in just moments ago, he can hear the sounds of the police siren, now louder than ever.

Oliver looks back at Felicity, who meets his gaze again.

“You should go,” she says softly in resolute.

He nods, knowing this moment needs to come to an end. He gives her a small smile, one that’s so certain and without any doubt; a promise that they aren't finished and they will see each other again. She smiles back too, small but without despondent.

“Until next time, Felicity.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I really enjoyed writing this whole universe and I definitely wouldn't mind writing more of it! I may get inspiration to add to it as an ongoing series, cause like I said this whole universe just opened in my head and I am kind of in love with it. 
> 
> I also wouldn't mind if you guys have any prompts for me. Feel free to leave me a message on my tumblr if you do!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this. Kudos and comments are always welcome!
> 
> If you want to say hi, or give me a prompt, come to my tumblr: [bokayjunkie](http://bokayjunkie.tumblr.com/)


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